Unit Overview

Humans and the Environment: Sounding Off on the Puget Sound

Students will practice the 21st century skills of Complex Thinkers, Effective Communicators, Collaborative Workers, and Community Contributors as they investigate protecting the sustainability of the Puget Sound.

1. How can we model 21st century learning as we investigate protecting the sustainability of the Puget Sound?
-Introduction to digital learning tools: Laptops; response devices; other
-Digital Citizenship
-Digital Learning Communities
-Production Applications
Thinking Skills: Goal Setting
Habit of Mind: Thinking Flexibly
District Outcomes: Collaborative Workers, Effective Communicators, Quality Producers; Complex Thinkers

2. What is the state of the Puget Sound?
Ÿ Geography and brief history of the region
Ÿ Interdependence with Maple Valley
– Cedar River and tributaries; water supply
Ÿ Current environmental challenges and issues:
– Pollution/water quality
– Endangered species
* Orca whale
* Salmon
– Art connections
* Wyland murals
* Native American art
Ÿ Thinking Skills: Finding Evidence, Inferring, Analysis, Main Idea, Summarizing, Fact and Opinion, and Problem Solving
Ÿ Habits of Mind: Gathering Data through the Senses, Questioning and Problem Posing, Responding with Wonderment and Awe

3. How do human actions and interactions affect the health of the Puget Sound?
Ÿ Competing wants and needs
– Native American history and Culture
– EPA Indicator Summaries (Studies indicating impact of human interaction on various aspects of Sound) http://www.epa.gov/Region10/psgb/indicators/summary/index.htm
– Economics
– Politics
Ÿ Web Research: Primary and secondary source materials
Ÿ Thinking Skill: Point of View and Detecting Bias
Ÿ Habits of Mind: Thinking Flexibly; Questioning and Problem Posing
Ÿ Complex Thinker Outcome

4. What can we do as citizens to raise awareness regarding the health and well-being of the Puget Sound?
Ÿ Sustainability and environmental footprints
Ÿ Current legislation
Ÿ “Sounding Off” projects
Ÿ Visual literacy/information fluency skills
Ÿ Political action letter
Ÿ Thinking Skills: Synthesis, Point of View, Finding Evidence
Ÿ Habits of Mind: Thinking Interdependently and Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
Ÿ Effective Communicator Outcome
Ÿ Collaborative Worker Outcome

5. How can we take action to improve the health of the Puget Sound? Ÿ Service projects
Ÿ Thinking Skill: Goal Setting
Ÿ Habit of Mind: Taking Responsible Risks
Ÿ Community Contributor Outcome

Humans and the Environment: Sounding Off on the Puget Sound

Key Social Studies Concepts

Ÿ What are the issues facing our Puget Sound today?
Ÿ How can we effectively communicate local environmental issues and concerns?
Ÿ How do we participate as an effective individual citizen in influencing the future decisions regarding the environment?

Key Content Skills Ÿ Interpreting Maps Ÿ Communication Skills – Phone Calling – Emailing – Interviewing Ÿ Information Fluency – Gathering Information from a Variety of Sources – Using Primary and Secondary Sources – Citing Sources – Framing Questions – Identifying Key Words/Conducting Searches Ÿ Nonfiction Reading Ÿ Persuasive Writing	Thinking Skills Ÿ Finding Evidence Ÿ Inferring Ÿ Analysis Ÿ Main Idea Ÿ Summarizing Ÿ Problem Solving Ÿ Point of View Ÿ Detecting Bias Ÿ Synthesis Ÿ Goal Setting
Habits of Mind Ÿ Responding with Wonderment and Awe Ÿ Gathering Data through the Senses Ÿ Questioning and Problem Posing Ÿ Thinking Flexibly Ÿ Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision Ÿ Taking Responsible Risks	District Outcomes Ÿ Complex Thinker Ÿ Effective Communicator Ÿ Collaborative Worker Ÿ Community Contributor

Educational Technology Standards

EALR 1: Integration	EALR 2: Digital Citizenship
1.1 Innovate · Create digital products for culminating projects (Sounding Off Projects)	2.1 Practice Safety · Practice personal safety · Practice ethical and respectful behavior (Online learning community; citing sources; guidelines/rules for ethical participation in virtual communities)
1.2 Collaborate · Interact and collaborate with others using a variety of digital tools · Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats · Participate in an online community dedicated to understanding or solving a local or global issue (Online learning communities, stakeholder discussions, Sounding Off projects)	2.2 Operate Systems · Develop skills to use technology efficiently · Use a variety of hardware (Web 2.0 applications; hardware skills including laptops, cameras, personal devices; managing the online learning community space; online forums and discussion boards)
1.3 Investigate and Think Critically · Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation and plan strategies to guide inquiry · Locate and organize information from a variety of sources and media · Analyze, synthesize and ethically use information to develop a solution, make informed decisions and report results · Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions (web research: primary and secondary sources; stakeholder simulation; Sounding Off projects; online learning community updates; evaluating points of view; publish research using web tools; subscribe to RSS feeds of relevant online references; network with Chesapeake Bay project to investigate problem solving around similar issues)	2.3 Select and Use Applications · Select and use common applications · Select and use online applications (Sounding Off multimedia projects; managing the collaborative online learning community; document learning through digital portfolio; access existing networks such as Puget Sound Partnership)
	2.4 Adapt to Change (Technology Fluency) · Formulate and synthesize new knowledge (Sounding Off projects; online learning community

NETS

1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.

2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
c. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
a. plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

5. Digital Citizenship
Students:
b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.


6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students:
b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

Humans and the Environment: Sounding Off on the Puget Sound

Social Studies GLEs

Civics 1.2.2	Ÿ Understands the purposes, organization, and functions of governments, laws, and political systems (Environmental legislation, how bills become laws)
1.4.1	Ÿ Understands civic involvement and attempts to balance individual rights and the common good (Environmental legislation)
Economics 2.1.1	Ÿ Understands that people have to make choices between wants and needs and evaluate the outcomes of those choices (Economic interests and the environment)
2.2.2	Ÿ Understands how economic systems function (Treaties that govern salmon fishing)
2.4.1	Ÿ Understands the economic issues and problems that all societies face including distribution of resources and sustainability (Natural resources and environmental sustainability)
Geography 3.2.1	Ÿ Understands the interactions between humans and the environment (Pollution of the Puget Sound and the affect on our local water supply; fishing rights and species endangerment)
History 4.4.1	Ÿ Uses history to understand the present and plan for the future (History of Puget Sound and insights into future recommendations to preserve the health of the environment)
Social Studies Skills 5.1.1	Ÿ Uses critical reasoning skills to analyze and evaluate positions (Points of view on environmental issues: simulation)
5.1.2	Ÿ Evaluates the credibility of information (Detecting Bias, primary and secondary source materials)
5.2.1	Ÿ Uses inquiry-based research (Sounding Off on the Puget Sound projects)
5.2.2	Ÿ Evaluates the validity, reliability, and credibility of sources when researching issues (Sounding Off on the Puget Sound projects; point of view simulations)
5.3.1	Ÿ Deliberates public issues by evaluating one’s own viewpoint and the viewpoints of others (Political action letters; mock legislative session)
5.4.1	Ÿ Evaluates multiple reasons or factors to develop a position paper or presentation (Sounding Off on the Puget Sound projects, political action letters, mock legislative session)
5.4.2	Ÿ Avoids plagiarism and respects intellectual property when developing a paper or a presentation (Sounding Off on the Puget Sound projects; political action letters)

Humans and the Environment: Sounding Off on the Puget Sound

Guiding Question #1: What is the state of the Puget Sound?

Lesson Title	Author	Resource Needs	Thinking Skills/HoM
Unit Intro. Overview of Puget Sound and setting stage that taps into students’ prior knowledge and introduces outcomes and guiding questions	Nancy	-Map/Features (basic info.) -Over Washington -Shifting Baselines (5 min. vid) -Provocative images/headlines -Short reading (P.I. News in Ed)	Comparison Finding Evidence Questioning and Problem Posing
Puget Sound Photo Exploration Ÿ Economics/ Commerce Ÿ Recreation Ÿ Culture Ÿ Geography Ÿ History	Kristin	Pictures representing uses and conditions of the Sound Quote to capture the complexity of the Puget Sound	Inferring Analysis Questioning and Problem Posing Gathering Data through the Senses Responding with Wonderment and Awe
How Are We Connected to the Puget Sound? (Interdependence with Maple Valley)	Loretta Kristin Cary Todd	Geography-mapping; Watershed/River systems Google Earth-“Six degrees of Puget Sound” Chief Seattle Quote: “Web of Life”	Main Idea Summarizing Interdependence
How Healthy is the Puget Sound? Ÿ Exploring Environmental Challenges and Issues	Kristin Nancy	Kayleen Speakers Times articles-reading Pollution/ water quality Endangered Species: orca whale and salmon	Reading Strategies: Finding Evidence Summarizing Fact and Opinion Problem Solving Sustainability
Influencing Through the Arts? (Appealing to the heart and the head)	Nancy Cary	Wyland’s whaling walls Native American artist Blue Planet video Wyland quote: Water Connections Chris Jordan photography	Responding with Wonderment and Awe Inferring
Visual Essays: Summarizing Our Learning (Link back to Guiding Question #1)	Kristin Loretta Nancy	Creating awareness through images and words: self-reflection rubric – viewing others’ work Inspiration Software	Synthesis Gathering Data through the Senses Responding with Wonderment and Awe

Guiding Question #2: How do human actions and interactions affect the health of the Puget Sound?

Lesson Title	Author	Resource Needs	Thinking Skills/HoM
Sustainability and Environmental Footprints	Nancy Kayleen	Kristin’s resources	Finding Evidence
Competing Interests in Environmental Issues (adapted from Project Learning Tree-Exploring Environmental Issues)	Loretta	Research component PLT	Analysis
"What's at Stake?"-Researching and Simulating Viewpoints of Stake Holder Groups	Loretta	H&E: Geography 3.1.3 CI: Civics 4.2.3 Skills 3.1.4	Question and Problem Posing, Thinking Flexibly, Sustainability
Web Research Mini-lessons: Finding Evidence Websites: Detecting Bias Primary and Secondary Sources	Loretta & Kristin	Online tools Inspiration software – note gathering Using words and images to present positions (visual and verbal) Complex Thinker Rubric	Finding Evidence Point of View Summarizing Detecting Bias
Field Experience: Discovery Park	Nancy/Kayleen		Responding with Wonderment and Awe Gathering Data Through the senses Observing

Guiding Question #3: What can we do as citizens to raise awareness regarding the health and well-being of the Puget Sound?

Lesson Title	Author	Resource Needs	Thinking Skills/HoM
What is Puget Sound Partnership?	Loretta	Puget Sound Partnership web site
Current Legislation	Todd Nancy	Outside speakers Note-taking chart (current law – purpose – questions)	Summarizing Main Idea
Making a Difference –Community Action Groups	Loretta	Govern. And private or nonprofit organization	Analysis and Evaluation Question Posing, Gathering Evidence
Political Action Letters	Nancy	Persuasive writing to authentic audience (provide template) (Possibly Civics 1.1.3b)	Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
“Sounding Off” Projects: Podcast, Skit, Political Cartoons, Newscast, Blog, Graphic Novel, Commercial, Documentary, Webcast	Nancy Kristin Kimberly	Teaching for Tomorrow Format CI: Inquiry 1.1.3 CI: Civics 4.1.3 H&E: Geography 3.1.3b Visual literacy/information fluency skills	Synthesis Thinking Interdependently
Tentative “legislative simulation”, ulcer gulch or other	Nancy Kristin Todd Cary Loretta	Review how we influence legislation Invite legislators to come speak/hear testimony Committee Process – TV cameras/podcast Different classes represent different committees? Ÿ Education Committee Ÿ Land Use Ÿ Appropriations Students present to a committee to influence preserving and protecting the environment Effective Communicator Collaborative Worker Rubrics	Point of View Finding Evidence Thinking Flexibly Thinking Interdependently Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision Questioning and Problem Posing

Guiding Question #4: How can we take action to improve the health of the Puget Sound?

Lesson Title	Author	Resource Needs	Thinking Skills/HoM
Service Projects (Call to Action)	Nancy	Create a structure for class or small group projects Self-reflections Rubric for Community Contributors Lessons from Kristin	Goal Setting Taking Responsible Risks
Unit Reflections	Nancy	Content Skills Thinking Skills Habits of Mind District Outcomes	Metacognition Evaluation